Written Answers Monday 1 August 2005

Scottish Executive

Alcohol Misuse

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many alcohol-related incidents required a response by ambulance services in each year since 1997, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

Cancer

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, following Carers Week, it will estimate (a) how many cancer patients receive care at home, (b) how many carers supporting cancer patients remaining at home require support themselves and (c) any additional costs faced by cancer patients as a result of their treatment and care.

Mr Andy Kerr: Modern cancer treatment means that many patients can be treated much closer to home and more cancer care is now being provided on an out-patient or day case basis. If there is no need for patients stay in hospital they will be allowed home.

  Information is not available centrally on:

  (a) the numbers of patients receiving care at home

  (b) how many carers supporting cancer patients at home requiring support themselves

  (c) the additional costs faced by individual cancer patients as a result of their treatment and care.

  The Scottish Executive is supporting research being undertaken by the Cancer Care Research Centre, University of Stirling into Patient and Carer Experiences of cancer. It is anticipated that models for gathering patient and carer experiences will be developed for local and national use to inform policy makers and clinicians on involving patients and carers in developing service improvements.

  Resources to support unpaid carers have risen from £5 million in 1999 – 2000 to £23 million this year. This investment is improving the quality of life for many carers and it is a matter for local authorities, NHS boards, the voluntary sector and carers to agree at a local level how best these resources are used.

Cancer

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of testicular cancer per 1,000 men has been in each year since 1990, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Cancer Scenarios (Scottish Executive 2001 (updated in 2004)) projected that cancer incidence will continue to increase, due partly to an ageing population. However, as a result of raised awareness, earlier detection and improved treatment fewer people are dying from the disease.

  The following tables show the incidence of male testicular cancer in health board areas from 1990-2001 and the crude rates per 100,000 population for Scotland. Adult cancer rates are conventionally presented per 100,000 population.

  Male testicular cancer (ICD-10 C62), Scotland

  Table (a) Number of Registrations by Health Board Area of Residence from 1990-2001

  

Health Board Area
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001


Argyll and Clyde
7
16
11
11
14
11
14
17
18
14
25
13


Ayrshire and Arran
12
12
11
11
12
11
14
12
11
15
21
13


Borders
2
1
2
3
0
5
2
4
3
2
5
3


Dumfries and Galloway
2
4
4
5
5
11
8
6
12
8
11
7


Fife
12
11
12
10
15
9
13
10
14
7
10
16


Forth Valley
5
2
3
10
16
6
13
13
7
14
8
10


Grampian
24
27
26
17
24
32
24
21
24
14
21
22


Greater Glasgow
29
37
22
33
33
23
23
29
34
33
29
40


Highland
11
10
7
11
10
5
8
13
17
6
6
15


Lanarkshire
28
20
23
13
14
18
22
21
19
19
19
26


Lothian
17
30
23
28
33
27
20
31
31
35
40
35


Orkney Islands
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
0
1
1
2


Shetland Islands
2
0
1
1
3
2
0
0
2
3
2
1


Tayside
12
5
13
14
15
7
8
9
16
18
17
14


Western Isles
0
1
1
0
2
2
0
1
1
0
0
1



  Table (b) Crude Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population for Scotland

  

Year of Diagnosis
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001


Scotland1
165
176
159
167
196
171
170
189
209
189
216
221


 - crude rates per 100,000 population
6.8
7.2
6.5
6.8
8.0
7.0
6.9
7.7
8.6
7.8
8.9
9.1



  Note: 1. Includes cases where the health board of residence was not known. Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

Cancer

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the incidence of breast cancer per 1,000 women has been in each year since 1990, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: Cancer Scenarios (Scottish Executive 2001 (updated in 2004)) projected that cancer incidence will continue to increase, due partly to an ageing population. However, as a result of raised awareness, earlier detection and improved treatment fewer people are dying from the disease.

  The following tables show the incidence of female breast cancer in health board areas from 1990-2001 and the crude rates per 100,000 population for Scotland. Adult cancer rates are conventionally presented per 100,000 population.

  Female breast cancer (ICD-10 C50), Scotland

  Table (a) Number of Registrations by Health Board Area of Residence from 1990-2001

  

Health Board Area
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001


Argyll and Clyde
238
320
276
301
253
297
287
300
275
300
336
293


Ayrshire and Arran
217
260
261
242
242
260
271
252
318
260
260
300


Borders
92
47
63
89
63
55
101
69
68
134
70
79


Dumfries and Galloway
91
89
102
127
79
90
100
116
107
112
128
127


Fife
192
279
206
192
257
207
194
283
196
214
326
188


Forth Valley
127
155
208
170
154
217
154
145
235
203
158
222


Grampian
308
333
310
288
297
319
313
318
317
390
367
343


Greater Glasgow
577
556
601
535
592
598
615
622
651
604
672
554


Highland
122
134
178
141
160
140
128
164
167
149
164
156


Lanarkshire
285
316
333
323
324
315
340
380
375
422
373
368


Lothian
483
459
489
475
457
537
489
498
549
549
498
559


Orkney Islands
11
19
12
8
19
9
12
15
4
15
21
7


Shetland Islands
13
10
14
11
14
16
10
10
26
8
7
20


Tayside
234
239
240
271
252
299
321
251
298
285
286
310


Western Isles
21
5
12
42
24
22
27
24
14
27
13
21



  Table (b) Crude Incidence Rates per 100,000 Population for Scotland

  

Year of diagnosis
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001


Scotland1
3,011
3,222
3,305
3,217
3,189
3,387
3,365
3,447
3,600
3,672
3,690
3,570


 - crude rates per 100,000 population
114.2
122.1
125.2
121.7
120.4
127.8
127.2
130.5
136.5
139.3
140.3
135.7



  Source: Scottish Cancer Registry, ISD.

  Note: 1. Includes cases where the health board of residence was not known.

Care of Elderly People

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people have had to sell their homes to pay for their long-term elderly care in each year since 1997.

Lewis Macdonald: The information requested is not held centrally.

Community Care

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding has been allocated to the Direct Payments network in each year since establishment of the network.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive does not fund the network of Direct Payments local authority lead officers.

Council Tax

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made in respect of the consultation process in relation to council tax levels for people living in Abbeyfield Homes following an amendment to the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

George Lyon: A consultation paper, titled Local Tax Liability of Residents in Housing Support Accommodation , was issued on 14 July 2005. Copies have been sent to interested organisations (including Abbeyfield Homes) and individuals. The closing date for responses is Friday 2 September 2005.

Council Tax

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people living in Abbeyfield Homes have been required to pay council tax since the start of 2005-06 as a result of the implementation of an amendment to the Local Government Finance Act 1992.

George Lyon: This information is not held centrally.

Council Tax

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to reach a conclusion on whether or not the residents of Abbeyfield Homes should be required to pay council tax for their individual rooms

George Lyon: Responses to the consultation paper issued on 14 July 2005 have been requested by 2 September. Once we have analysed those responses, we will seek to reach a conclusion as early as possible.

Council Tax

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it plans to reimburse the residents of Abbeyfield Homes for council tax they have paid since April 2005.

George Lyon: Local authorities have no powers to backdate council tax discount entitlement retrospectively.

Council Tax

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether occupied Crown property is exempt from council tax.

George Lyon: Occupied Crown property is liable for council tax with the exception of dwellings owned by the Ministry of Defence for armed forces accommodation. In those cases, the Ministry of Defence make a payment in lieu of council tax.

Dentistry

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-17734 by Lewis Macdonald on 8 July 2005, how many approved salaried dental posts have been filled in each NHS board area.

Lewis Macdonald: The filling of salaried dentist posts is a matter for NHS boards. The most up-to-date information on the number of posts filled is not held centrally but will be available from NHS boards.

Fertility Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the availability of human gametes for donation in Scotland since the introduction of the new donor anonymity arrangements on 1 April 2005.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it estimates that there has been any change in the availability of donor human gametes in Scotland since the introduction of the new donor anonymity arrangements on 1 April 2005.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the future availability of donor gametes in Scotland.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with infertility treatment centres regarding the any shortage of donor gametes.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with patient user groups in the last two years regarding the availability of donor gametes.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will take steps to establish whether there is an adequate number of centres with the facility to recruit gametes donors and whether these cover a reasonable geographical spread across Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has made no formal assessment or estimate of the availability of human gametes since the donor anonymity arrangements were introduced on 1 April 2005. Nor have we made an assessment of future availability.

  Over the past six months officials have met representatives of all the Scottish clinics, Infertility Network UK and the National Infertility Awareness Campaign. Given the concerns raised by all groups we plan to survey the clinics on impact of the legislation this summer. At this time we will also consider the availability of facilities for donation.

Fertility Services

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to increase awareness of the possibility of donating gametes amongst the general public.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with health departments in the rest of the United Kingdom regarding any shortage of donor gametes.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will encourage the relevant UK authorities to review the existing donor anonymity arrangements, in light of any current donor gametes shortages.

Lewis Macdonald: Legislation on the licensing and governing of fertility centres is reserved to Westminster. Scottish Executive officials have discussed with the Department of Health the implementation of the new legislation to ensure suitable publicity for Scotland. In addition to the UK government’s publicity we have circulated promotional materials to a wide range of Scottish contacts, including clinics, GP’s surgeries and patient representative groups.

G8 Summit

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what methodology and detailed research formed the basis of the statement by the First Minister that the G8 summit will bring £500 million of benefit to Scotland.

Allan Wilson: The statement made was based on consideration of evidence from the 2004 G8 summit held at Sea Island, Georgia and our conviction that Scotland will benefit by at least as much, given the great efforts made by Scottish business supported by the Scottish Executive, the enterprise networks, local government and others to ensure that we maximise the immediate and longer-term economic and business opportunities arising from the summit.

  The Executive has commissioned a study to estimate the direct and indirect benefits of the summit, the results of which will be published later this year.

General Practitioners

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many GP surgeries have misinterpreted the target set for GPs of seeing patients within 48 hours by not accepting appointments made further in advance, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not held centrally.

  The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours. Guidance has been issued to NHS boards to support the implementation of that target. Access is defined as including appointments, but also includes other arrangements which are appropriate to the patient’s circumstances and clinical need. Requests for a appointments further ahead than 48 hours not included in the target in order to provide a degree of flexibility recognising that some patients may not wish to have access within 48 hours.

  Information on the target and the guidance issued to NHS boards is available from the 48 Hour Access website:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/48houraccess.

  It is for each primary medical services practice to establish appropriate access arrangements in accordance with local circumstances. Access to primary medical services is determined by a number of factors including clinical need. Primary medical service practices are required to include information regarding access arrangements in their practice leaflets.

  The target has been developed to reflect the circumstances in which Scottish practices operate and to ensure there is no incentive to restrict the way in which patients can access services.

General Practitioners

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice and guidance it has offered to (a) patients and (b) NHS boards regarding the scheduling of appointments in respect of the GP target of seeing patients within 48 hours of an appointment being requested.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Scottish Executive published a commitment in the Partnership Agreement that from April 2004 anyone contacting their GP practice would have guaranteed access to a GP, nurse or other healthcare professional within 48 hours. Guidance has been issued to NHS boards in support of the implementation of that target. Access is defined as including appointments, but also includes other arrangements which are appropriate to the patient’s circumstances and clinical need.

  Information on the target and the guidance issued to NHS boards is available publicly from the 48 hour access website:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/48houraccess.

  It is for each primary medical services practice to establish appropriate access arrangements in accordance with local circumstances and to meet the requirement of the target. Access to primary medical services is determined by a number of factors including clinical need. It is for NHS boards and primary medical services practices to ensure that patients are aware of access arrangements. Primary medical practices are required to include in their practice leaflets information regarding the method of obtaining access to services.

General Practitioners

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations have been made to it regarding any concerns about the GP target of seeing patients within 48 hours of an appointment being requested.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Partnership Agreement includes the commitment that anyone contacting their GP surgery will have access to a GP nurse or other health care professional within 48 hours. The target focuses on access rather than GP appointments and a range of healthcare professionals, not just GPs.

  The Scottish Executive receives letters and telephone calls from members of the public and MSPs on behalf of constituents, regarding the definition of the 48 hour access target in Scotland and its implementation. Correspondence and enquiries receive an appropriate explanation. Since the implementation of the target from April 2004 the Scottish Executive has received, on average, fewer than 2 enquiries per month. In addition the Scottish Executive has consulted with a range of professional bodies and NHS boards regarding the development and implementation of the target, which resulted in representations being made and which were addressed directly with the organisations or individuals concerned.

  Further information is available from the 48 Hours Access website:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/sehd/48houraccess.

General Practitioners

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people attending accident and emergency departments were not registered with a GP in each of the last three years, broken down by NHS board.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not collected centrally. We do urge everyone to register with a general practitioner and to seek their help and advice as to the best access to the services they may need.

General Practitioners

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the ratio of the number of GPs to population was in each NHS board area in each of the last five years.

Mr Andy Kerr: The table shows the average number of patients per whole-time-equivalent GP to in each of Scotland’s NHS boards.

  Average Number of Patients Per Whole-Time-Equivalent General Practitioner1 in Scotland by NHS Board Area; As At 1 October, 2000 - 2004

  

 
Average Number of Patients per WTE2 GP1:


 
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004


Argyll and Clyde
1,411
1,408
1,388
1,394
1,396


Ayrshire and Arran
1,539
1,538
1,522
1,507
1,515


Borders
1,351
1,364
1,344
1,337
1,356


Dumfries and Galloway
1,254
1,250
1,248
1,238
1,247


Fife
1,528
1,539
1,535
1,535
1,565


Forth Valley
1,486
1,475
1,489
1,501
1,512


Grampian
1,543
1,520
1,508
1,500
1,517


Greater Glasgow
1,595
1,595
1,584
1,581
1,578


Highland
1,104
1,079
1,066
1,023
1,035


Lanarkshire
1,728
1,710
1,702
1,700
1,710


Lothian
1,586
1,561
1,538
1,539
1,557


Orkney
806
769
744
712
718


Shetland
1,179
1,156
1,156
1,215
1,207


Tayside
1,529
1,509
1,498
1,496
1,494


Western Isles
953
939
969
932
1,033



  Notes:

  1. These figures are for all GP performers in 2004 and all Principals prior to 2004. Vacated posts and the patients attached to these posts have been included in the calculations.

  2. Whole Time Equivalent.

Health

Shona Robison (Dundee East) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many deaths have been notified to the Skipton Fund from 29 August 2003 to date.

Mr Andy Kerr: The overall number of claims from Scotland to the Skipton Fund on behalf of people who have died is 11.

Health

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has completed in the last four years to examine why the fertility rate is 35% below the replacement level.

Lewis Macdonald: The Scottish Executive has carried out no research into this topic in the last four years. However the Office of the Chief Researcher is currently co-funding a research programme with the Economic and Social Research Council on Scottish Demography. One of the themes of this research is Fertility in Scotland.

Housing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of households with children have been in temporary accommodation in the (a) Scottish Borders and (b) East Lothian local authority area in each year since 2000.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Executive collects snapshot data on the number of households in temporary accommodation as at the end of each quarter. Data on households with dependent children have been collected since March 2001. Data on households in temporary accommodation, including numbers of households with dependent children as a percentage of all households, are available on-line in the publications section of the housing statistics branch reference site:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref.

  Temporary accommodation provided under Section 29 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 is that which is used by local authorities when carrying out their duty to provide accommodation to people who apply as homeless while their applications are being assessed, until a final decision has been made on their application. This duty to provide accommodation continues during the process of review if one is requested. Where the authority’s decision is that it has a duty to provide permanent accommodation, the duty to provide temporary accommodation continues until the duty to provide permanent accommodation is discharged.

  Temporary accommodation may also be provided under section 31 of the 1987 Act, where a household with children is assessed as being intentionally homeless. In these cases temporary accommodation must be provided for a period which gives the household a reasonable opportunity to secure their own accommodation.

  Local authorities use different types of housing in order to provide temporary accommodation; such as furnished and unfurnished houses and flats, hostels and bed and breakfasts.

Housing

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the trends have been in the number of (a) single-person households, (b) single-parent families, and (c) households with children and two or more adults in the Scottish Borders Council area since 1961.

George Lyon: The information that is available is in the following tables:

  Households in Scottish Borders

  

Type of Household
1961(1)
1971(1)
1981
1991
2001


One person
5,537
7,515
9,301
12,960
15,279


One adult and one or more dependent child(ren)(3)
(2)
260
599
1,285
1,737


Two or more adults and 1 or more dependent child(ren)(3)
(2)
11,645
10,871
10,448
9,647



  Source: Census of Population.

  Notes:

  1. Figures are for the former counties of Peebles, Roxburgh, Berwickshire and Selkirk.

  2. The required figures for 1961 were not produced for areas within Scotland.

  3. A dependent child is defined as follows:

  

2001
Person in a household aged 0 to 15 (whether or not in a family); or a person aged 16 to 18 who is a full time student in a family with parent(s).


1991
Person aged 0-15 in a household; or person aged 16-18, never married, in full-time education and economically inactive


1981
Child in family who is under 16 years of age; or under 19 years of age, never-married and classified from the question on economic activity last week as a student.


1971
Child in family who is under 15 years of age; or between 15 and 24 years of age and classified as "student"

Meat Hygiene Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meat inspectors were employed in each of the last three years for which figures are available.

Lewis Macdonald: The following table details the numbers of staff employed as meat hygiene inspectors and senior meat hygiene inspectors in Scotland in each of the last three years as at 1 April

  

Post
1 April 2003
1 April 2004
1 April 2005


Meat Hygiene Inspectors
121
123
125


Senior Meat Hygiene Inspectors
23
24
23


Total
144
147
148

NHS 24

Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many complaints have been received by NHS 24 from people living in the Clydesdale constituency and how many of these have been upheld.

Mr Andy Kerr: NHS 24 was rolled out to NHS Lanarkshire in November 2004. Six complaints have been received from the Clydesdale constituency, three of which were upheld.

National Health Service

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the average daily number of general and acute beds open overnight was in each of the last five years in (a) Scotland and (b) each NHS board area and what the bed occupancy rate was.

Mr Andy Kerr: The information requested is shown in the following tables.

  Table 1 shows information on average available staffed beds. This indicates the average daily number of beds, which were staffed and were available for the reception of in-patients and day cases. Borrowed and temporary beds are included; beds in day bed units are excluded.

  Table 1

  NHSScotland – Average Available Staffed Acute1 Beds2; by NHS Board Area: Years Ending 31 March 2001 - 2005

  

 
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005p


Argyll and Clyde
 1, 402
 1, 394
 1,337
 1, 273
 1, 229


Ayrshire and Arran
 1, 175
 1, 201
 1,205
 1, 209
 1, 221


Borders
 379
 384
 372
 381
 371


Dumfries and Galloway
 423
 421
 425
 419
 420


Fife
 844
 848
 837
 818
 837


Forth Valley
 725
 733
 724
 702
 699


Grampian
 1, 921
 1, 892
 1,879
 1, 856
 1, 870


Greater Glasgow
 4, 008
 4, 011
 3,995
 3, 976
 3, 888


Highland
 845
 853
 874
 872
 872


Lanarkshire
 1, 665
 1, 640
 1,620
 1, 606
 1, 551


Lothian
 2, 525
 2, 569
 2,531
 2, 478
 2, 450


Orkney
 59
 61
 63
 63
 65


Shetland
 58
 58
 58
 58
 58


Tayside
 1, 516
 1, 458
 1,499
 1, 495
 1, 448


Western Isles
 165
 152
 153
 158
 161


Scotland3
 17, 711
 17, 676
 17,571
 17, 363
 17, 184



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes: pProvisional.

  1. Acute care refers to specialties primarily concerned in the surgical, medical and dental sectors. Specifically excluded are the obstetric, psychiatric and long stay sectors.

  2. Includes joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  3. For the year ending 31 March 2005, the Scotland total includes Golden Jubilee National Hospital which had 44 average available staffed beds. The Scotland total may not exactly equal the sum of the NHS board figures due to rounding.

  Table 2 shows information on bed occupancy, which is the proportion of available staffed beds that were occupied by in-patients at midnight. Patients that are not present at the midnight census, such as day cases, are not included.

  Table 2

  NHSScotland - Percentage Acute1 Bed Occupancy2; by NHS Board Area: Years Ending 31 March 2001 - 2005

  

 
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005p


Argyll and Clyde
82.8
82.0
79.8
79.9
80.7


Ayrshire and Arran
82.1
81.2
80.5
80.3
79.5


Borders
79.7
80.0
81.3
83.2
80.5


Dumfries and Galloway
74.9
76.1
76.3
76.6
78.9


Fife
84.0
81.5
81.8
83.2
81.5


Forth Valley
81.5
80.1
81.4
82.4
83.8


Grampian
79.8
81.3
82.7
81.7
80.8


Greater Glasgow
80.7
81.4
81.8
81.0
80.9


Highland
77.0
78.3
76.7
77.2
75.5


Lanarkshire
78.0
82.2
84.2
86.0
86.4


Lothian
85.5
82.8
84.7
85.3
86.8


Orkney
59.4
65.2
70.7
62.4
58.2


Shetland
68.9
72.1
65.9
60.6
54.2


Tayside
81.7
82.7
82.5
81.5
82.0


Western Isles
74.6
77.9
71.2
68.1
65.6


Scotland3
81.1
81.3
81.8
81.7
81.7



  Source: ISD Scotland.

  Notes:

  pProvisional.

  1. Acute care refers to specialties primarily concerned in the surgical, medical and dental sectors. Specifically excluded are the obstetric, psychiatric and long stay sectors.

  2. Includes joint-user and contractual hospitals.

  3. For the year ending 31 March 2005, the Scotland total includes Golden Jubilee National Hospital which had a 100% occupancy rate.

Prescription Charges

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions ministers have had with their counterparts in Wales regarding prescription charges.

Mr Andy Kerr: There have been no discussions with Ministers of the Welsh Assembly Government on this subject.

Prescriptions

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what proportion of prescriptions issued are not filled.

Mr Andy Kerr: This information is not available. The number of items dispensed is known. However, information about NHS prescriptions issued to patients is recorded by prescribers in patients’ notes and the number is not held centrally.

Scottish Executive Ministers

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many meetings have been held between Scottish Ministers and/or officials and UK Ministers in each year since 1999, in total and broken down by department and division.

George Lyon: Scottish Executive Ministers and officials have met with UK Ministers on numerous occasions since 1999, details are not held centrally.

Vulnerable Adults

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what protection is currently available to vulnerable adults from employees in a caring or nursing role who are on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list in England and Wales which bars them from working with vulnerable adults there but does not prohibit them from gaining such employment in Scotland.

Lewis Macdonald: Employers of nursing and caring staff, including agency and voluntary staff, should follow good recruitment practices to ascertain an individual’s suitability for employment. This involves scrutinising employment history, taking up references from previous employers, checking regulatory practice registers and, where required by regulation, securing a disclosure check. This level of scrutiny should uncover individuals placed on the Protection of Vulnerable Adults list in England and Wales who apply for posts in Scotland.

  Whilst there are no legislative requirements in place yet to enable the sharing of information held on lists elsewhere within the UK, we are committed to improving protective measures for vulnerable adults in Scotland and have taken steps to amend the Police Act 1997. Given that disclosure systems operate differently across the UK, and are subject to review following Sir Michael Bichard’s Inquiry report published in June 2004, we are also consulting with other UK administrations on when to commence these information-sharing provisions.